What’s the Monarchy For?; Sean Combs: The Reckoning

“This is an institution that celebrates the installation of a new boss by re-running an ancient ceremony where they wear a jewelled velvet hat. Nobody is pretending it makes sense. Pinning down its internal inconsistencies can feel like chasing round in a tight circle. It is, however, entertaining, particularly in the hands of this newly combative David Dimbleby.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“Dimbleby is now 87 and slightly off the leash, so this had its punchy moments, though perhaps not quite enough. This was beautifully constructed, intelligent programme-making, but it was so carefully (and inevitably) balanced that most of its conclusions were ones we could probably have drawn ourselves.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Whether you like the thrust of his argument or not, it’s a pleasure to see Dimbleby, a hearty 87, with the bit between his teeth and a mischievous twinkle in his eye again. He is a rare and formidable journalist, and the series stands as a totem to his own career of high-class reportage. But make no mistake, What’s the Monarchy For? is less a question and more a slight. The BBC may bow and scrape, Dimbleby seems to say, but he will not anymore.”
Chris Bennion, The Telegraph

“Instead of a scarlet tunic and top hat, Dimbers was sporting a natty pair of green braces. Now 87, he was looking a little rheumy around the eyes, but his mind is as sharp as ever. Quizzing a succession of politicos and bigwigs including former Prime Minister Lord Cameron and ex-Attorney General Dominic Grieve, he stubbornly and energetically challenged every statement. But the episode became bogged down in the question of whether King Charles wields too much influence.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“After watching the series, you can see why Combs might be rattled. This is a man whose fall from grace last year was sudden and comprehensive, and yet Sean Combs: The Reckoning feels like the moment of no return for him. It does such a thorough job of laying out and backing up so many horrific allegations that his way back to stardom is surely blocked for ever.”
Stuart Heritage, The Guardian

“Sean Combs: The Reckoning is anything but succinct and takes forever to tell us something we already know. Which is that Combs is unpleasant and manipulative, with a history of violence towards women and a taste for sexual deviancy. Anyone with a passing knowledge of his life and crimes will already be familiar with the broad outline of the story. Following on from a barrage of similar documentaries, Sean Combs: The Reckoning feels like a rehash of a rehash, in the style of one of those interminable Fred West tells-alls forever popping up on Channel 5.”
Ed Power, The Telegraph